Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears
by cloudyskiesbringimagination
Summary: Modern AU. When Uther dealt with the witch doctor Nimueh for a son he would have never have expected this to happen. Now he has to find a woman that won't scream and run for her life to love Athur so the curse upon him can be broken. Please R
1. To Believe That He Was The Monster

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover... Or An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 1

_Hi, got this idea after hearing about the series 3 spoiler that Arthur was going to have donkey ears (can't wait for that episode!) and it was also inspired by the film 'Penelope'. By the way this is a modern au fic just so you know. Enjoy._

Xxx

'There goes another one', Arthur sighed looking through the stained glass window of the Pendragon mansion to see a panicking woman frantically running across the gravel (they had given up on grass due to the constant heel digging) of the front garden in her heels, so close to freedom and out of the gate only to be dragged back in with Gaius the butler and his handy pair of trainers for these regular events. As normal the woman was dragged back inside, gagged until she swore on her life she wouldn't tell a soul and let free living with the true nightmares that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Merlin was stood beside Arthur like a dog to his master, his ever faithful friend and servant looking on as the blonde haired woman silently walked her way to freedom after the slight kidnapping and gagging until she swore to secrecy. 'You'll find one eventually and anyway you didn't really want that Vivian girl did you, to be honest I don't think even the most desperate of people would', Merlin joked trying to lighten up the mood but it was difficult when the same thing happened all the time.

Arthur just stood there unmoved by Merlin's nervous laughter, frozen to the spot he simply asked 'And when will eventually be?' knowing that Merlin wouldn't be able to reply, knowing that nobody could reply, no-one knew if Arthur was going to get a girl never mind when. Merlin was never silent, he always had something to say, something to comment on, something to laugh about, he was like a walking chatterbox but now he was, unable to voice his thoughts without hurting his friend's feelings and Arthur knew it.

'Exactly', Arthur mumbled turning around to face Merlin so that he could now see Arthur's ears properly now. They were great big monstrous things sticking out of the top of his head. They were two furry well more like hairy, grey, long donkey ears that moved to his every emotion but these days Merlin had noticed they had kept in the same position, drooping down like the sadness that lay inside him. Every- one in the aristocratic house-hold knew the tale of how they got to be there but the story was never allowed into the outside world for fear of humiliation and the media. The tale of which a barren wife named Duchess Igraine was able to bear children after the help of a witch- doctor called Nimueh in a far away land with a shocking curse. The shocking curse was Arthur. Through the Duke Uther's determination to succeed in having an heir in the Pendragon dynasty he had risked his wife's life and his own for the sake of a son with horrible side- effects and that was how Arthur was born and brought into the family. Yet they knew that for the curse to be broken Arthur would have to find someone to love him for who he was and see the real him behind the donkey ears.

'I told you we should have gagged them and got them to sign the paper before they met Arthur', Uther said to Gaius walking up the stairs to Arthur's chambers.

'Of course sire. We shall put that into action next time', Gaius replied. He was getting to old for all this running.

'Arthur', Uther beamed now entering his son's room with Gaius at his side.

'Father', Arthur acknowledged turning around to face his father, hands behind his back. He and his father were so formal compared to other father son relationships, there were no hugs involved, no heart to hearts and sometimes Arthur even called his own father sire but that may have been because the both of them were so different to each other and had such different opinions of the world.

'Just came up to ask you how you think it went?', Uther said. Arthur was now into his late twenties, when Uther was his age he had already been married and had a child and yet Arthur was still left lonely.

'Rubbishly', he grunted.

'Nonsense it wasn't that bad. I mean she wasn't screaming when she first got into the room', Uther retorted determined to get his sons spirits up.

'That was because I wasn't in the room when she first got in', Arthur replied making his point.

'Ahh right', Uther sighed finally getting the jest to what his son was saying. 'Well you know what they say, there's plenty of other fish in the sea', he smiled only to be met by his son's scowl.

Uther just didn't get it, Arthur was sick of his schemes to find him a woman, it was tiring and pointless. But Uther would never give up; he wanted to carry on the Pendragon dynasty and for the curse on his son to be broken and what was even worse was that Uther was a spoilt brat, he always got what he wanted no matter what the cost and so he determinedly keep on at Arthur teaching him ten different languages, to be charming, to make himself look handsome, to cook and clean just so he would be the perfect husband. Arthur didn't want to go through the rejection anymore and pain of people looking at him as if he was a monster; it had happened so much that he had learnt to believe it. To believe that he was the monster.

Arthur had everything he could ever want but nothing he needed. He needed to be normal, to experience life instead of being cooped up in his home like a mouse trapped in a cage, he needed his mother to be alive and there for him and most of all he needed someone who would love him and accept him for who he was and not treat him like an outcast. Someone who wouldn't judge a book by its cover... or a aristocrat by his ears.

_Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think by reviewing if you can so I know whether to carry this story on or not. Byee!_


	2. Forgetting To Read The Small Print

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 2

_Sorry to you guys who read the previous chapter and if you've been waiting for this chapter. I won't lie but I kinda forgot about this story coz I was so caught up with doing my other stories and homework coz now unfortunately I'm back at school. Great! Not! But then I remembered it when I saw the trailer for this week's episode and I was like 'Damn I forgot about that!' and now that I've got some free time I'm writing it so from now on I'll try to update it at least once a fortnight but most likely once a week. Enjoy! P.S. Morgause is about ten years older than she is in the show in here and yamyam is slang for people who live in Walsall because of their accent when they say 'You am/are' they say 'Yam' which is what I say and also Walsall is known to be the best for making saddles so Gwen's dad was a saddler in this so you learn something new every day._

Xxx

In one of the offices of the Birmingham newspaper company 'Just like magic', a late thirty year old, wavy blonde haired, experienced by twenty years in journalism, woman named Morgause was sat researching on the story she had received a life- long scar for, one hand rapidly typing away on the laptop the other scribbling down notes obsessed about revealing the story that would tear the Pendragon family apart which would gain her revenge on the person that gave her that scar that was more than skin- deep but a whole other matter. Uther Pendragon.

'Wait! I'm telling you the truth! I swear I saw him with my own eyes! He had these horrible things sticking out of his head like a donkey', screamed Vivian down the corridor opposite Morgause's messy office, being dragged away by the body- guards getting her out of the building.

Morgause's ears suddenly pricked up immediately at the last word the girl had said 'Donkey' and following the source of the noise ran out of her office knowing she may not be able to get a chance like this again, after fifteen years of researching finally she had found a source.

'Wait', Morgause called her hand stretched out towards the body- guards holding the panicking girl named Vivian as the struggling thwarted to a confused pause. 'She's with me', Morgause said, the body- guards immediately releasing the girl from their strong hold.

'I am?', Vivian questioned obviously too thick to take her chance of escape at the first hint before Morgause nodded slowly 'I mean I am', smiled the pathetic twenty- something year old happily bounding over to the stranger that had released her from her terrible fate she had encountered not realising what she had signed herself up for, forgetting to read the small print of a deal that would drastically change her reputation as the daughter of a political leader forever.

Xxx

A dark- skinned, curly haired girl was thrown out of an estate into the pouring rain of the city blazed streets, as cars splashed by drenching her in water from the puddles that had previously fallen from the sky she tried to gather her things, well what little of her things rapidly clutching them to her chest. All she had now was her mother's locket she had been given from birth in remembrance to the mother she would never come to know, her saddler father's horse- shoe given to her for luck before he went missing, a photograph of a mysterious brother whom she had never even met, and the clothes on her back that she held so dearly to herself. The only things she had were of her family yet none of them were here to support her now in her time of need, they never were. But at least now she had no landlord to pay. She stood there, shivering in the cold, yamyam rain which she hated so wondering what her life had come to. But first she needed to find shelter so that night she slept in the local arboretum sheltering from the pouring rain as she lay solemnly under the oak trees wondering if she would ever find a home, food, and most of all her lost father again.

Xxx

_So what did you think? Thanks for reading and please review, if you review I'll love you all :) I'll try to update this again on the weekend and who's looking forward or cringing to the next episode of Merlin?_


	3. Money Troubles

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 3

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read this so I hope you enjoy this chapter :D P.S. Gwen's quite a lot feistier in this story than the show so sorry if you don't like that._

Xxx

The early morning, dappled sunlight streaked through the autumnal colours of the now crispy oak trees shading Gwen from the previous night's rain and now forcing her to awake from her bad night of slumber. Her eyes fluttered open like a pair of butterfly wings before she sat up from her less than comfortable position, brushing her quilt of newspapers she had found from the park's bins off her lap, they hadn't really concealed her warmth or lack of warmth anyway.

She itched her head and looked around her surroundings properly for the first time whilst finding a dried, crippled leaf stuck in her curls. She had known of this park since she was a child, her father taking her there as a little girl, hand in hand walking along the twisted pathways discovering different places every time they went there and pushing her on the swings in the playground. She loved those swings, whenever she had a chance to get on them she would squeal gleefully to her father 'Higher, higher dad!', she had felt like a bird flying to its freedom then shooting back down having to start it's leap of faith all over again and that was what she loved about it, everything was always the same and stable. That all changed when her father was reported missing a year ago and she was forced to go along with the difference and land with the fall back down to the earth like the swings she had once loved so dearly.

She was pulled from her momentum as a few hooded teenagers on bikes rode past her, throwing their cans of coke at her, not a care in the world as they laughed hysterically riding around the rest of the park ready to torment some other defenceless person they could find. She sighed to herself 'Oh well, at least it can't get any worse than this' but to her bad luck it just did as the park warden was striding over so she did what she always did. She did a runner from these unfortunate situations now in tune to the change in life she had so long hated which now she had learnt to love.

'Oi come back here!', shouted the park warden running after her but stopping halfway to catch his breath, he was after all about sixty years old.

She kept on running until she was at the park gates as she looked down at the park warden and laughed 'In your dreams mate' with a smile on her face before heading towards the town centre. She would be able to find a job there with the money she needed.

Xxx

A frustrated Gwen punched the wall of the job centre harshly with her fists before sliding down it to her feet, clutching her knees as she cursed herself bitterly as her head faced the floor to conceal her anger.

'Guinevere isn't it?', asked a mysterious voice. Gwen curiously looked up from her lap to find two beautiful, blonde wavy haired women smiling at her though their smiles were not the type one would associate with friendliness. The closest one stood around a step away from Gwen with her long wavy locks blowing to and fro in the wind, she looked around thirty something yet her beauty was immaculate but mature at the same time whilst the other one standing further away had to be at least ten years younger, around Gwen's own age. She was beautiful also but not in the way the one closest to her had grasped her eyes. She was more like one of those girls who knew they were beautiful so didn't bother with anything else although Gwen knew there would come a time for this girl when her beauty would fade away and she would need a lot more than her looks to keep herself alive.

'How do you know my name?', Gwen questioned curious as to how a pair of random strangers in the middle of the town would know her or even want to know her of all the people they could choose from this place.

'I can see right through your very soul so I don't think knowing your name is too hard', the closest woman said bending down to cup Gwen's cheek, as her warm fingertips touched the cold skin of Gwen's cheek, Guinevere saw her eyes flash gold and twitched her eye slowly.

The woman had magic. Magic was just like drugs, use it for the right reasons and it could save somebody's life, use it for the wrong reasons well it could take somebody's life away, once you were involved there was no getting out of it ever and she knew that very well but she still needed to feel the thrill of the rush of adrenaline she soaked up from this woman in her veins. But it was still illegal yet Gwen wouldn't tell, she never did, that's what always got her into trouble.

'I'm Morgause', she smiled 'and this is my friend Vivian' she said pointing to the other woman behind her who was waving rather pathetically at Gwen.

'Yeah well I should go', replied Gwen getting to her feet, knowing that these two were trouble when she first saw them yet there was something that drew her to them like a mouse to a plate of poisoned cheese. She started to walk away from the pair and forget the whole ordeal that had happened that day when Morgause called 'So I suppose you don't want the money then' knowing what would make the girl tick.

Gwen stopped dead in her tracks just as Morgause had predicted controlling the girl like an owner to his dog. 'I don't want the money, I need the money', she sighed knowing that this was the type of world that depended on the wealth of the rich and the lack of wealth of the poor when at the end of the day all money would come down to would be a piece of paper and a few chunks of metal. Money meant everything in this world yet in reality it was nothing.

_Thanks for reading and please review :) The next chapter is going to be when Gwen and Arthur meet so please keep on reading :D_ _P.S. Who watched Merlin on Saturday, it was hilarious!_


	4. The Curse Of A Girl That Held His Heart

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 4

_Hi, thanks to the people who have read and reviewed and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

Xxx

As the black taxi pulled out a street away from the Pendragon Mansion so they would not be suspected, three beautiful women stepped out of it into the open countryside air that surrounded the area, the first thirty- year old, blonde haired woman was Morgause carrying a briefcase, stony- faced from the place that brought back so many cursed memories of the scar she had been given fifteen years before by the man she had come to know as Uther Pendragon. The second, a twenty- something year old, also blonde- haired girl whose reputation was Vivian, a political leader's daughter with an eye for parties, alcohol and men that her protective father disagreed on, only that those priorities were long gone after her father had sent her to meet a respectable family known as the Pendragons to ease her bad habits which it did just not in mind with the repercussions that would occur afterwards or the nightmares that would frighten her for the rest of her life. The third a brunette curly haired, twenty- something year old girl named Gwen short for Guinevere, her mother dead, her brother whom she had never known, her missing father and the her wreckage of a life but all of that was forgotten as she gazed dreamily up towards the tall, beautifully crafted gates that held the mansion in its palms. The only time she had seen such a place as grand as this was in fairytale books her father had read to her as a child and yet there was a sense of realism in those books as if Cinderella would jump from the page to sit beside her, she wished her life could be as simple as a fairytale but she had learnt from her childhood naivety that such things would never happen. Such things like a handsome prince riding off with her into the sunset.

Morgause dragged the other, two younger women into a dark alleyway once the black taxi had driven away into the distance.

'You know what to do don't you?', Morgause whispered within the claustrophobic walls to a slightly baffled Gwen worried that the whole plan could take a turn for the worst as it had fifteen years before.

'Of course', Gwen groaned as Morgause sighed in relief 'When I wink these contact lenses take a picture', said Gwen like a school- child made to repeat lines by a paranoid teacher sticking out her palm which held the contact lenses.

'Okay, and only put them in when you're in the house so you don't waste them then they connect to the laptop and they'll be in the news the very next day', smiled Morgause along with an unsure Vivian that was just going along with the whole thing.

'And what about my side of the bargain?', dealt Gwen knowing better than to just agree to something without making it clear what she would get from the plan.

'Oh you'll get that very soon', said Morgause tapping her suitcase which Gwen was about to grasp for but Morgause moved it away from her hands saying 'Just as long as you get the pictures'

'Fine', moaned Gwen walking out of the alleyway where Morgause and Vivian were setting up their rather dodgy equipment just to get the footage they needed.

Clutching the contact lenses in her sweaty palms, Gwen pushed open the grand, metal gates with all her might to reveal the castle that lay within. She smiled with a glint in her eye that told her this was a new adventure she had begun and an adventure she would not forget either way, good or bad. Anyway how ugly could this Arthur Pendragon be?

Xxx

Gwen entered the grand mansion, her heart shining in her chest as she gazed at the magnificent spiralled staircase, the immaculately tiled floors, and the rich, fine ornament that lay on the cabinet beside the staircase. She was pulled out of her daydream when her contact lenses dropped from her grasp and onto the floor, she had forgotten that she was supposed to put them in when she had first gotten into the mansion.

'Shit!', she panicked immediately falling down onto her knees to find the fallen contact lenses but was caught out when her eyes saw the black, shiny shoes that had suddenly landed on the floor in- front of her. She winced, looking up slowly to the dark haired, sticky out eared, twenty- something year old man that stood before her.

'What was it you said?', said the dark- haired man holding a clipboard, eyebrows raised in an un- impressed manner.

'I..I..ummm said shit', Gwen nervously lowered her voice knowing she was in trouble and especially if the one who was telling her off had a clipboard it was serious. She had hardly been in the place for about five minutes and already she was in trouble, the stuff seemed to follow her around everywhere and it was damn right annoying. She usually didn't swear much at all but today she felt that she needed the reassurance of it to calm the pressure of herself down.

The boy narrowed his eyes giving the girl below him a glare before bursting into a fit of giggles leaving Gwen confused as he laughed 'Your face! Ha ha works every time, they always fall for the clipboard, always the clipboard', he sighed wiping his laughter tears from his eyes and retuning to a sombre look but Gwen could still see the smile in his eyes.

She sighed in relief 'God you had me going then!' now sat on her knees, crossing her arms whilst pulling an unsuccessful pout a smile bursting out.

'Here you are', he grinned grasping her hand so she could stand upright again with ease 'And I believe you were looking for these' his other hand holding the precious jewels that were her contact lenses.

'Thanks', she smiled back taking the contact lenses from his hand and gently putting them one by one into each of her eyes.

'I'm Merlin and you are Evangeline Cortes right?', Merlin prompted with his tick list sat on his clipboard and biro in the other hand ready to tick away.

Gwen was about to say her own name at first before hesitating and just going along with the Spanish theme and saying 'Si, I'm her alright. That's me Evangeline Cortes'

Merlin looked at her weirdly for a moment but still smiled that goofy grin of his before saying 'Oh, you don't really look like an Evangeline more of a, well more of a something different' before stepping out of his deep train of thought. 'Anyway just go up onto the third floor and the room is on your right, he'll meet you in there shortly' He sighed as she climbed up the staircase. He had an inkling about this girl, she was different but would that be for the better or worse?

Xxx

As she entered the room, she found that it was filled with posh, snobby women who flicked their heads towards her as if she was vermin when she came into the room with scowls on their faces before getting back to yapping with their fellow snobby, slutty friends. Gwen could have sworn that they were clones of Vivian, never mind this donkey guy, this was her true nightmare; a room full of Vivians.

'Shit!', she had said for the third time that day when her contacts dropped to the floor again as she dropped to her knees behind the leather couch noticing that her contacts had fallen underneath the couch as she tried to squeeze her hand to reach the contact lenses that just didn't want to stay there. What she didn't notice was the guy that had just walked through the door with a un- amused look on his face, beautiful golden locks, sapphire blue eyes, and the tall muscular figure... and the donkey ears sticking out of the top of his forehead sighing 'I'm Arthur, nice to meet you and I'm sure that you would like to leave now so please take the front door instead of the window and everyone's happy'

'Yesss!', Gwen squealed as she grabbed the contact lenses buried deep beneath the couch and popped them into her eyes to see a herd of rampaging women heading for the door as quickly as they could screaming their heads off but still she stuck to her orders and stayed put in the room, at least now she wasn't trapped in a room with a heck load of Vivian clones and at last the room was silent which was a sound that Gwen craved the most.

Xxx

Meanwhile Arthur stormed off to his room flowed by his father which was connected to the room he had previously entered by a bookcase only used by him and a mirror that only he could see out of into the opposite room yet the person on the other side could see nothing.

'Arthur why did you scare them like that for?', Uther scowled at his son's imitations of himself.

'Just trying to speed up the process father and anyway be serious, when am I going to find a girl that...', he stopped, pausing in the middle of his sentence when he saw the brunette, curly haired girl still standing there in that room. His father followed his son's gaze to the mirror and excitedly told Arthur 'Quick talk to her! Oh and Arthur don't scare her away like you did with the others', he said leaving Arthur to it and grabbing a bowl full of popcorn along with Merlin and Gaius who were happily watching the footage from the room due to a camera in there.

Arthur walked slowly towards the mirror, just staring at what was on the other side. She had dark, brown curls that lay carelessly on her shoulders, warm dark skin, and hazelnut eyes that shone like gemstones despite their colour. She wasn't like the other women he had saw in that room, she hadn't plastered her face with make- up, wore pathetically tall high heels nor worn anything too revealing or inappropriate, she was different and he liked that. He watched her as she walked around the room, humming sweetly as she went by.

Finally he plucked up the courage to talk to this girl even though he was not to show his face but talk through the speaker- phone he still felt shivers run along his spine as he did so.

'You didn't run away', spoke Arthur through the device making echoes bounce across the walls of the room breaking the silence whilst startling the girl who nearly dropped an ornament but caught it quickly in her grasp.

'So I didn't', she said rather proudly but not knowing why. This person speaking had to be Arthur she thought.

'Why?', he questioned, now utterly intrigued by this mysterious girl who had not been scared out of her wits by his curse.

'Because I don't believe there's anything to run away from', she said simply, smiling at the thought of herself not running away from something or another when all she ever did was running away from things, from life, from the park warden, from all the troubles that had ever entered her life before looking directly at the mirror that was concealed for her but not for Arthur.

In that moment Arthur felt as if the girl was staring into his very soul, revealing his every hope and desire, nakedness and exposedness consumed his feelings as she stared right into his heart that had been frozen for so many years from the lack of love it had received. Although he knew that she couldn't see him but only the mirror and it was only him who could see her it still made him feel uncomfortable knowing that one single girl could do such a thing and control his feelings with such ease and simplicity. For him at that moment in time, his ears were not the curse but the girl who could hold such power over his emotions so easily. The girl that could hold his heart in the palm of her hand.

_So what did you think? Thanks for reading and please review, if you do I'll love you all so please review :D P.S. Who watched Merlin on Saturday? It was amazing and I totally ship Gwen/Gwaine from now on but of course Gwen/Arthur are my OTP. Oh I also found out Colin Morgan hates ice-cream! Nooooo! It seems that it will never work out between me(the ice-cream lover) and Colin(the ice-cream hater)! *sobs in a corner* Please make me happier over this distressing news by reviewing :)_


	5. The Smile That Could Never Be Taken

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 5

_I just wanna say a massive THANKYOU to everyone who has read and reviewed this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D_

_P.S. This chapter starts exactly from the last chapter._

Xxx

'So you must be Arthur Pendragon, I've heard a lot about you', sighed Gwen plopping herself down on the leather couch now bored of looking around the room and fiddling with all of its objects, arms crossed and waiting for a reply. She had heard a lot indeed about Arthur Pendragon, mostly from rumours yet when Morgause and Vivian had appointed her for this scheme they hadn't told her a thing, just to get a picture of him was her target but she often wondered why when she had known very little of whom he actually was and more about his background. It didn't seem fair for her to do this to an innocent person after long years without her father she had learnt that life was never fair and often ended with the fight for survival. It was either his happiness or hers and she definitely wasn't prepared to give her happiness or lack of her happiness away, not when she had worked so hard to get it.

'Good things I hope', replied the voice chilling her spine to the core, she damn right hated that speaker, or maybe it was the owner of the voice that had that effect on her.

'Well if living here is a good thing then yeah', she smiled 'It's a nice place you've got here', she said looking around the place again, she liked this place but her dream home would be anywhere just as long as she was with her family again but she knew that it was all a wistful dream that would never be fulfilled.

'It's alright', he lied, it wasn't alright. It wasn't alright how he was cooped up like a bird in a cage for his life, or that he would never feel the fresh air rushing to his cheeks or that he would never taste the fine spices and herbs of the market, it wasn't alright at all.

'Just alright? What's up? The only people who say alright are either zombie teens or polite people who don't want to say a bad thing about anyone or anything so come on tell me', she pushed on at the question wondering why a guy who lived in a mansion, wait understatement, castle like this would just call it alright.

'Because...', Arthur hesitated, it was so easy to talk to this girl about anything, about his problems, his hobbies, well everything and yet he had only met her five minutes ago, should he really be telling her these things? '...because I am forbidden from going into the outside world just for who I am', he sighed giving in to her request, a small tear trickled from his eye down his cheek and onto the his top below creating a puddle of all his hopes and dreams that were so simple yet never easy. It hurt him knowing that society would treat him like an outcast and ridicules him for what he looked like; he hated those damn things sticking out of his head.

And then he was brought out of his train of thought alarmed at what the girl did next, she chuckled coyly to herself though not with joy but with the sorrow of the likenesses of their situations but it was what she said next which surprised the aristocrat the most. 'Me and you, well we aren't that different. The only difference is that you're closed away from who you are and I run away from who I am', she sighed, she wished she could stop the never-ending running, the rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins whenever she got her kicks but she couldn't. But however far she ran trouble would always be hot on her tail.

'Why do you have to run away from who you are?', asked an intrigued Arthur.

'Because if I stop, I remember the memories which are supposed to be forgotten', she shuddered, a cold breeze suddenly whisping her away from her dreary daydream of the memories she had left behind come back for revenge to haunt her as she wiped a single, crystal tear that rolled down her cheek away hoping that he wouldn't be able to see her tears but he did.

She realised where she was, what she was doing, and glanced towards the clock on the opposite wall, the time! It was quarter past three already and she was supposed to be back at base at half past two at the latest. She had been so caught up with talking away to a man she couldn't even see, yet all her faith and trust was put into him and one person alone. She had thought that a person as rich as him would have looked down upon her yet when she opened up to him he didn't judge her in the slightest and was one of those few people who would just talk to Gwen without having a bad opinion on the matter. She sensed that he would be a great leader one day, no she was going off-track, all her objective to do was get a photograph of him and she had already failed that. Oh well, at least she tried.

'I really must be getting off, I'm late for ...something', she really was a pathetic liar but that was alright as this man seemed oblivious to her falsity. As she stood up from the sofa and headed towards the door, one hand on the door- knob, the other ready to open it.

This was Arthur's chance, to get to know this girl better, she may even to be able to break the curse, and it couldn't be that hard could it? So he leapt and took his chance so just as she was about to leave the room he called 'Come tomorrow...please', he pleaded hesitating and now kicking himself for sounding desperate for wrecking up his chances with her.

At least that was until she smiled directly back at the mirror, knowing he was there, she could sense it and solemnly nodded, the ends of her lips pinched into a small, neat, genuine smile before leaving and feeling the blossoming sunshine within herself glow for the first time since she was a child, that small, neat, genuine smile sticking there and she loved that feeling.

Xxx

Once she had reached up towards the small, dark alleyway that led her to Morgause and Vivian, a shiver ran across her spine knowing she would have to tell them the truth.

'What! You haven't got any pictures?', Vivian screeched angrily, taking Gwen by the collar and pushing her up the wall, she was immensely strong for a thick, pretty girl that is. She certainly hadn't expected this.

'But I'm going back tomorrow', Gwen coughed lightly, recapturing her voice back to its original state as Vivian dropped her to the ground causing her to land with a thud.

'What did you say?', Morgause asked stepping into the light from the dim shadows of the alley intrigued by what Gwen had meant, no woman she had ever known including herself had even lasted a day with the man that was Arthur Pendragon.

'He asked me to come back tomorrow, look it might be gradual but I'll get those pictures in the end', Gwen defended herself rubbing her coarse neck that had just been strangled, still sat on the dirt of the alleyway.

'Well as long as you get them. Come Vivian', Morgause warned calling Vivian like a owner to a dog as Vivian followed her in the cold darkness, their whereabouts a mystery now.

Gwen was left on the dirty floor, she had been threatened, strangled, and dealt with but nothing could take that same small, neat, genuine smile away from her, not now and not ever as she sat there and that was the only thing she did. Smile, smile and smile.

_So what do you think? Thanks so much for reading and review coz that will make me smile and take the moral and SMILE!_


	6. Tweaking the truth

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 6

_Sorry it's took so long for me to update and to make up for it this chapter is extra long but yeah, hate is such a strong word that's why I use it as another meaning for school! Anyways I've got half term so I'm updating now whilst I can so I hope you enjoy the story and curse with me against my ex-maths teacher (he's EVILLLLL and makes Morgana look like a fluffy bunny!) P.S. This chapter is dedicated to my fan fiction buddy dannic38 :D_

Xxx

Merlin was dragged from his warm silk that was his slumber due to the rippling, deafening noise of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen below. His blue eyes burst open instantly looking towards the curtain streamed window for dappled daylight but found nothing except the moon's shine glimmering through the crack highlighting a whispery, silver shadow across the room. Immediately he sat up from his bed and looking towards the bright figures of his digital clock sat next to him on his bed- side table found that it was 3:28 in the morning, not a time in which you would find Merlin in his happy, fluffy bunny loving state not that he would ever admit to it but even so if he was ever woken from his beauty sleep at this time he would most definitely turn from a fluffy bunny (he had the ears anyway) into a vicious wolf ready to jump on its prey.

Merlin grabbed his furry dressing- gown quickly to cover his bare chest and pale, pasty body for all he was wearing was a pair of quite skimpy, blue boxer shorts before rushing downstairs to uncover the perpetrator of this disturbance. The clattering of pots and pans grew louder as Merlin veered closer and closer to the kitchen as he peered round the kitchen door armed with a rolling pin that had been thrown out of the kitchen along with a whole heap of other clutter as the piercing, gold light of the kitchen streamed through the door. Merlin held the rolling pin close to himself with both hands as he entered the kitchen ready to wallop it around whoever or whatever it was' head and charging, screaming his head off it appeared that it was Arthur's weak spot instead of a thief's head that he walloped it on which was surprising seeing as Arthur had once before said that he couldn't defend himself to save his life.

'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarthur?', Merlin half screamed before questioning a flour- covered and now battered Arthur who was holding his you know what in agony and giving Merlin an Arthur-I-will-kill-you-glare which to be honest was thrown about a lot.

'What the hell did you do that for you blithering idiot?', Arthur screeched in pain, his scrunched face turned to stare at Merlin who was now quivering in fear of what Arthur would do to him once he had recovered from this little accident, he really didn't want to scrub the house top to bottom again.

'I..I..I thought you were a thief or something!', Merlin stuttered, sticking up for himself before muttering to himself 'But it obviously wasn't' although Arthur heard it and narrowed his eyes in Merlin's direction, yep, that glare was the shut-up-Merlin-glare they both knew all too well.

'Anyway what the hell are you doing?', asked Merlin eagerly trying to change the subject referencing to the what was a kitchen before what looked like a bomb exploded with a collision course of flour.

'Cooking', answered Arthur recovering from the recent attack on his manhood, why couldn't Merlin have aimed for his ears?

'Really cooking? Remember the last time you did some of that stuff you did cooking hmmm? Yeah, let's just say it was like a scene from some dodgy action movie', Merlin mentored making his point clear that Arthur+Cooking=Run for your life!

'Look I just wanted to try and bake a cake for her, she's coming today and I wanted to do something special for her, you know to make her feel...', Arthur sighed as he couldn't find the words that could describe how he wanted her to feel or that he wanted to be the cause for that beautiful feeling that would flourish inside her.

Merlin's grin widened into that goofy face that he would always pull when watching soppy, romance films when a couple would cheesily run through a meadow of some sort to end up in each other's arms. Urgh, it made Arthur cringe...usually but this time he really didn't mind that cheesy grin or the cause of it.

'You like her don't you?', Merlin smiled at the rhetorical question he had just asked knowing the answer already.

'Shut up Merlin and help me', Arthur simply replied grabbing the cooking book and scrolling his powdered flour fingers over the words on the recipe.

'I might as well because you'll probably poison Evangeline with your baking strategies... ', Merlin said cheekily nudging Arthur in the side with his elbow and rolling the sleeves of his dressing gown up to help him bake the cake.

'Wait, did you say her name was Evangeline?', Arthur asked trying the name out on his tongue but it just didn't feel right like a lie of secrecy, he couldn't fit that name with her personality or her appearance, it just didn't suit her and it didn't feel right.

'Yep, that's what I was like when I first heard it, doesn't suit her at all!', sighed Merlin concentrating on weighing 250g of sugar onto some scales, his eyes going cross- eyed as he made sure the weight was exact, once a perfectionist always a perfectionist.

'I know', sighed Arthur dreamily leant on a worktop that cook would not be very happy of in the morning to come.

'Oi, come on out of your day-dream!', Merlin laughed trying to awaken Arthur from his frozen self to life but it still didn't work, yep Arthur really liked this girl but even his daydreams about her wouldn't be able to stop Merlin from doing what he did next.

'Okay, lightly sprinkle a handful of flour over Arthur it says here so here it goes', said Merlin in all seriousness, well that was until he got a whole bowl of powdery flour and chucked it on Arthur's head with a lot of satisfaction. That definitely brought Arthur back into the real world.

'You didn't!', Arthur growled although Merlin could see his smile behind the thick layer of powdery flour as he scraped it away with his cupped fingers.

'I did!', Merlin retorted being rather proud of himself that he had just attacked Duke Arthur with a bowl of flour and he had won the battle or so he had thought.

'Oh did you now? Because it says here in the recipe book that if that happens you must catapult about a dozen eggs at Merlin.', Arthur smiled as he saw Merlin's grin turn to a cringe knowing what was to come as he froze to the spot eyeing a place in which he could cover from this deathly attack.

'Well I better follow the cook- book so I guess that means FIRE!', shouted Arthur grabbing the eggs to send them flying into Merlin's face.

Within seconds what was once a kitchen had transformed into a battlefield or what most parents would call a mess. Cook would not be happy. Who would have thought that baking a cake would be so hard?

Xxx

'Hi Merlin', Gwen greeted as she entered the mansion; she never got tired of that magical feeling she had whenever she came there.

'Oh hi Evangeline', Merlin smiled back happy to see her again, well to be honest happy to see any of the women Arthur had met once to return a second time, this gave Arthur some hope whether it was good or bad they would find out soon enough.

A glimmer of guilt flickered in her eyes as that little bit of remembrance of what she was really doing hit her but she brushed it away quickly as to not arouse suspicion and to enjoy her time whilst she had the chance.

'Arthur's upstairs and he's got a surprise for you', Merlin grinned happy that he was in on the secret that had caused both Arthur and himself to get a telling off from cook, but the food fight was definitely worth it.

Gwen tried hard to keep the smile that was etched onto her face there but her eyes would almost certainly give her away as she climbed the spiralling staircase that led to the room where she would meet Arthur yet again. She couldn't keep doing this anymore, deceiving a person who was probably the most kind, sweet and understanding individual she would ever meet in her lifetime. It pained her inside to know that she would be hurting him eventually let alone herself along the way just to satisfy her own greedy needs. She knew of the true extent of hurt and pain that this would lead to and so therefore she pushed herself to tell him the truth no matter what the cost as it would hurt less now than later.

As Gwen entered the room, closing the door behind her she kept her back turned towards the rest of the room still facing the door, she couldn't bear to look him in the eye even if she couldn't truly see his eyes it would still hurt her even more.

She took a deep breath before hesitating to say 'Arthur, I... I... I have something to tell you', her heartbeat pacing quicker than ever as she took in sharp breaths unable to stop her quaking voice.

'That can wait. I've got a surprise for you, it's on the coffee table', called an excited Arthur from the speaker- phone, his attempt of baking a cake hadn't really gone to plan but with a slight tweak of the truth and a trip to the local supermarket by Merlin had turned out better than expected.

She smiled softly walking towards the coffee table and lifting off a sheet of white cotton to reveal a mouth- watering, chocolate cake underneath, her favourite. It had two slices missing, not that she minded with Arthur's defensive response being 'Yeah, me and Merlin tried to resist the temptation but chocolate cake is just too good to resist'

She laughed, nobody could resist the temptation of chocolate cake and she definitely wouldn't be one of those people who could, so she sat herself down on the couch and tucked into a slice her smile fading as soon as she saw the 'Asda' supermarket bag next to it.

'You bought it from asda didn't you?', questioned Gwen having little respect for people who couldn't even bother trying when she had tried so hard for the things she had worked for yet never succeeded.

'Umm.. well look I did actually try but it ended out that I had turned the kitchen into a bomb- site and now cook won't even let me walk a step into the kitchen because if I do he has threatened that he will make coq au vin out of me and...', babbled on Arthur praying that he hadn't messed it up with this girl.

'Alright, I forgive you just please don't spare me the details of how he will make coq au vin out of you. Anyway asda makes better cakes than anyone I know so thanks for not taking the risk of poisoning me', she laughed, she really didn't need to hear any more especially not while she was eating.

'You're welcome. What was it you wanted to tell me about?', he smiled from behind the mirror happy that she hadn't taken the truth badly.

'Oh, it's not important. Let's talk about something else other than what I said and coq au vin'

Xxx

_Thanks so much for reading and please review if you can, also if you can please curse with me against my ex- maths teacher coz he's EVILLLLL! Muhahahahahahaha! Thanks again and please review :)_


	7. Saying Goodbye Without A Reason

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 7

_Sorry I haven't updated in ages but don't shoot me coz I got side-tracked by staring at Liam Payne for hours (and he looks like Justin Beiber and I don't even like Justin Beiber, shoot me now!) damn him! Anyway off the subject of Liam Payne and onto the chapter, hope you enjoy it!_

Xxx

'I'm gonna do it', he told himself reluctantly as he paced around the embellished room wringing his hands with all the strength he could. Anything just anything to get him out of this situation. Any reason why not to do it. Anybody he would rather do it for. But he couldn't think of anything to get him out of this situation. But he couldn't think of any reason not to do it. But he couldn't think of anybody he'd rather do it for (okay, Angelina Jolie did pop up in his head a few times for this one but he decided he'd rather do it for someone else...and Angelina Jolie wasn't a very realistic prospect especially with Brad Pitt still around, darn him!)

'You're gonna do what?', Merlin asked inquisitively, slightly leant against the doorway pulling the Gaius eyebrow off perfectly. It was either very patronising or intimidating, Arthur decided it was both and didn't like it one bit. It could always tell when he was lying which is pretty awardable when you consider that all it is, is a clump of hair stuck near to your eye. That and the fact that Arthur was rubbish at lying.

'Umm I'm gonna go to the loo, yep that's what it was, I'm bursting', he lied heading for the door but before he could pass through it Merlin stood right in front of it, blocking his way.

'Merlin', Arthur warned, fed up of Merlin's silly games and just a tiny bit scared of being found out (not that he would ever admit it).

'Not until you tell me Arthur', he replied quite pleased that he was in control but all the same eager to know what Arthur was up to.

'There's nothing to tell other than...', Arthur started as he planned his detailed escape route in his mind only his train of thoughts about how James Bond it would be to lift himself up to the air ventilation system came to a pause with Merlin's distinct interruption.

'You can't lie to me Arthur...or the eyebrows so just spit it out', Merlin said saying the last bit as a very intimidating after- thought.

Arthur gave up and just returned to the sofa, plopping himself down on it with a heavy sigh as Merlin followed him and sat beside him. Arthur would never admit it but Merlin was his best friend, okay he was his only friend but if Arthur did have a list of friends Merlin would be top of the list and nobody can keep a secret from their best friend no matter how big or small.

'I'm going to show her who I truly am'

Xxx

'I'm gonna do it', she told herself as she stood at the big, grand gate that lead to the beautiful castle she loved yet hated so dearly. Hate of the darkest kind. The hate that hurt the most. Love. Her fingers glided over the cold, metal bars of the gate as the thawing air numbed her to the bone. Anything just anything to get her out of this situation. Any reason why not to do it. Anybody she would rather do it for. But she couldn't think of anything to get her out of this situation. But she couldn't think of any reason not to do it. But she couldn't think of anybody she'd rather do it for. Then her father's words rang heavily in her ears from years before 'For the ones you love you must do something you may hate' And it was then that she came to her decision.

'I'm going to show him who I truly am'

Xxx

The blonde haired man rubbed his head in dismay but then he was reminded of his ears. His horrible, terrible ears, of the monster he was. No girl in their right mind would go for a man like him never mind her. He looked up to find Merlin staring thoughtfully through the air.

'What is it?', he asked his friend waking him from his trance. Merlin had never told Arthur or anyone for that matter about his powers for fear of being bloodily murdered by Uther but recently he had been waking up in cold sweat seeing his dreams come to pass in life. There were things like this that were best kept a secret even from your best friend. So he didn't tell Arthur about how Evangeline wasn't really Evangeline but Gwen or Guinevere or how she left him heart broken or how the following day a murder victim was found with dark brown eyes and curly hair going by the name Guinevere was reported in the daily newspaper along with a wanted poster of two blonde haired women. No, he didn't tell him this.

'Nothing'

Xxx

Gwen clambered up the long, spiralling staircase. It gave her enough time to breathe and think about why Merlin gave her such a mournful look when she entered the house, he wasn't his usual bubbly self, cracking jokes and messing about but instead it was as if a wave of grey had washed over him making him miserable to the core. It was as if somebody he loved had died as he watched a crow feast upon that person's body. The weirdest thing was that he said 'Goodbye' and gave her a big hug, clinging to her like an infant to its mother on its first day of school like he would never see her again, he never said that. It was always a 'See ya' and then he got on with his chores clumsily. But today it was different; he was solemn and then dragged his feet over to the kitchen, the colour drained from his face as he peeled some potatoes.

She shrugged the thought away when she got to the room. Today she had one focus and one focus only. To show him who she truly was.

'I need to tell you something', she sighed as she opened the door, her eyes fixated on it as she shut it slowly.

'Me first', he replied.

Confused, she turned around to see him. There he was in the living flesh standing in the centre of the room. She looked at him for the first time, he had golden hair, deep blue eyes, a muscular figure and his ears; well to be honest she loved them. Overall he was beautiful inside and out and she wondered how some could call him a monster. She edged herself closer and closer to him as he grew quite uncomfortable. She hadn't said anything yet, just stared at him with big, brown eyes. He had never dealt with a situation like this before, most women ran away smashing the window in the process (he really had to think about getting double glazing) but she just stood there intrigued and that was making him uncomfortable. When she got to standing about a metre away from him she reached out slowly to touch those things he hated so dearly and stroked the rough texture against her smooth palm but as soon as she had done so she remembered her contact lenses, the contact lenses that she had put in and took pictures with every blink.

'Damn it', she cursed as she took them out and stamped on them violently.

He knew it was too good to be true, he thought she had cursed about his ears but instead it was an entirely different story that no one would ever understand. He turned and walked out of the room rather rushed to back where he came from; behind the mirror he stood invisible again. She watched him leave, realising what she had just done as she watched a single, crystal tear roll down his cheek. She knew this would happen but she didn't know it would happen like this. It seemed that happy ending do not exist in real life so she began to leave quickly. However as she was about to leave the mansion she heard his voice begging her to wait and she turned seeing him stood on the spiralling staircase.

'Please... marry me and these...', he said indicating his donkey ears '...will be gone. The curse will be gone and we'll be happy', he pleaded.

'It's not so simple', she sighed 'Goodbye Arthur', now she knew what Merlin meant when he said 'Goodbye'. Although it took a lot of courage for her to deny his proposal she did it for a reason and not the one she had explained just. She did it because for the one she loved she would have to do something she would hate. And she left.

Only one of them kept their promise, one of them didn't but showing a person who you truly are is a lot harder than you may think especially when you're a coward, liar and a person who does the things they hate for the people they love.

Xxx

'You did what?', Morgause screeched, the true hatred bubbling deep inside her gut as she tried hard to keep her composure and voice calm so as to not arouse any passing eyes.

'Yes I did it and you can have these back', Gwen spat thrusting the contacts to Vivian's feet as the younger blonde scurried to the floor to save the treasured technology from the dirty depths of the puddles 'Keep the money! I want nothing to do with your schemes anymore Morgause' and with that she left but not as she had previously done for this time she knew the difference between good and evil and which side she was on.

Morgause and Vivian watched the brunette walk discreetly away from the darkness of the alleyway and although what Gwen had just done angered her to the core she wore a smile on her face. It was a smile you wouldn't wish to see on a dark night as you walk home alone. 'Nobody double- crosses me and gets away with it', she smirked maliciously with Vivian.

Little did she know that she and her partner were being watched from shadows in a linking alley by a man with illuminating blue eyes and dark hair. The man who had said 'goodbye' without giving a reason. Merlin.

_Please review!_


	8. You Have A Good Heart

Never Judge An Aristocrat By His Ears- Chapter 8

_Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far and I hope you enjoy this chapter! By the way this chapter starts directly after the last one and it's short so I suppose it's just a bit of a filler really._

Xxx

Gwen walked and walked, her mind in another world as her feet led the way to who knows where. She would have gone home...well that is if she had a home. A home was safe, a sanctuary, anything could make a sanctuary but for Gwen sanctuary meant having those she loved with her and she hadn't had a sanctuary in years. Eventually her feet led her to a place somewhere familiar. A sanctuary where the memories of those she loved were buried deep in the earth. The park. Where the tall fir trees swayed softly in the night breeze. Where the winding paths intertwined carrying the fallen, autumnal leaves on their way. Where the swings creaked holding the ghostly memories of children gone by. This was her sanctuary even if she didn't have her father...or Arthur. So she dragged her tired legs to the creaking swings and sat down on one, gently pushing it to and forth with her heel as her long and spindly fingers clutched on tightly to the strong chains. As her body was lifted gently up and down in the air she looked up to the dark, night sky to see twinkling stars, she smiled as forgotten memories came to her mind. She swung higher and higher as she did as a child daring herself to go on.

As she did so, she was unaware of the three pairs of blue eyes that were watching her through the dark belonging to the people who would be the death of her; Morgause and Vivian with the person who would be her saviour; Merlin. Merlin carefully watched Morgause and Vivian from the deep bushes before flicking back to Gwen and back again as the flashbacks of her murderers returned to his mind. Suddenly a new vision flashed in his mind, it was of Vivian and Morgause pouncing up from behind Gwen when she was high up in the air and pushing her off the swing so that she collapsed onto the floor whilst blood seeped out from her head. Then his vision started to become a reality as the moonlit figures strode silently behind the swinging Gwen pushing her off harshly before Merlin's legs urged him forward and caught her in his arms. She lay there in his arms startled and baffled. One minute she was swinging high up into the sky and the next she had been pushed off roughly and had landed into Merlin's arms. But there wasn't enough time for thinking or talking what with Morgause and Vivian running toward them with bloody revenge transfixed in their minds. Merlin quickly dropped Gwen to her feet before grabbing her hand and using the other to cast explosive spells against the troublesome couple that were after Gwen. One blasted against a large tree causing it to fall in-between the blondes and Gwen giving Gwen and Merlin time to make a run for it but not much as Merlin wasn't the only one gifting with the power of magic... Merlin and Gwen hid behind a bench as Morgause' hands raised high above her head before coming thrashing down, pointing to the large tree and leaving a zap of golden light shatter the tree into wooden shards that flew dangerously close to any living creature.

Quickly Merlin and Gwen took their chances and made a run for it out of the park with Morgause and Vivian hot on their tail but escaped from their chasers by heading down a dark alleyway being well hidden from them. They crouched down low in the dark, next to a dirty dustbin in the alley as Morgause and Vivian crept nearby in search of their victims. Merlin cupped Gwen's mouth with his hand to contain her heavy breathing until Morgause and Vivian had given up and had begun to search another part of town. Merlin's hand dropped from her mouth as their breaths returned to them in a sigh of relief. Gwen looked to Merlin for a second before asking 'Why did you help me?' It seemed a bit odd since Merlin was a close friend to Arthur and how she had hurt Arthur and used him.

Merlin looked back at her and sighed before leaning his head against the wet wall behind him. 'The truth is I don't think you're the person you make yourself out to be', he replied with raised eyebrows.

She turned to look away suddenly feeling very ashamed and awkward about whom she really was.

'...but you have a good heart', he smiled placing a hand on her shoulder.

'Come on we better get you somewhere safe', he sighed lifting himself up and giving her a hand.

Xxx

_Thanks so much for reading and please review!_


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